The Exam
by T'Maia
Summary: Spock has to take an exam at Starfleet Academy


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Title: The Exam  
Author: T'Maia  
Contact: T_Maia#altavista.com  
Series: TOS  
Part: 1/1  
Rating: [G]  
Codes: S/? (NR)  
Summary: Spock has to take a math exam at Starfleet Academy  
Archive: YES, if you tell me where  
  
Disclaimer: If Leonard Nimoy gives me a call telling me that this is   
crap, I'll stop. Otherwise Viacom can kiss my *.  
  
I got told that this is off character. But hell, Spock is eighteen here   
and he must have grown into the man we know somehow.  
  
To all those students who are currently suffering from examania. Hope it  
doesn't happen to you...  
  
  
The Exam  
  
Spock entered the main hall and seated himself at the appointed table.  
This was his final math exam and he had no doubt that he would have no  
problem scoring 100%. His preparation had been flawless. He let his eyes  
wander around, watching he other students. The engineering cadet, what  
was his name? Ah, yes, Montgomery Scott.   
  
The attendant rang a klaxon to indicate the beginning of the exam. The   
students who had been chatting scattered to their places. From one of   
the crowds, walking straight towards him came a beautiful young woman.   
Spock's eyes widened and his heart hammered. It was her!   
  
He had seen her before, on the stairs to the library. He had made an   
idiot out of himself then, while he had been gawking at her because he  
had been standing frozen to the spot on top of the stairs until that   
pesky farmboy James T. Kirk had punched him from behind, startling him   
and causing him to fall and roll down all 69 steps. Spock still blushed   
at the memory of it. He was glad she had not noticed then.   
  
His eyes followed her every move. The same brown eyes, beautiful face   
and long legs in a red communications uniform. She gave him a quick   
smile and sat down at the desk two rows in front and one to the right   
relatively to his. Spock barely noticed the assistant handing out the   
datapads containing the questions. His hand was on autopilot as he   
reached for it. She had smiled at him! His thoughts raced and his eyes   
were glued at her. He longed to know her name. He could think of nothing   
else but her. Somewhere in the back of his mind registered the voice of   
over her pad. He saw her answering the questions and admired the way she   
moved her head. He was transfixed with her appearance. How could he let   
Who was she? Spock could do nothing but watch her as time was ticking   
by. And he watched her.   
  
Suddenly the klaxon rang again and his padd beeped and went blank.   
"Please take your pads and hand them to the assistants." announced the   
examiner. Slowly it registered in Spock's head. The exam was over. And   
he had not answered one single question. He had stared the full 180.3   
minutes at the woman in front of him. Humiliation burned on his cheeks.   
He had royally managed to flunk his final exam. Somehow Spock still   
could not believe it. He sat at his table and stared at the pad he held   
in his hands until the assistant took it out of his hands. After   
everybody else had left, he walked out in to the fresh air of December   
in San Francisco, still mind-numbed from the thought of failure.   
  
  
Two days later Spock got called into the office of his tutor. Comdr.   
Sean Mulligan had always been partial to him, especially after he had   
discovered Spock's extraordinary talent in math and multiphysics.   
  
Mulligan's expression was worried. "Hello Spock. Please take seat. I   
just got the results of your math exam. What happened, Spock?" he asked,  
concerned, in a mild tone. "I do not know." Spock replied, avoiding   
Mulligan's eyes and inspecting the floor instead. "Spock, what shall I   
think if my star student whom I always considered to be the first one to  
score 100% in that stupid exam, fails? You did not answer even one   
single question." Spock remained silent. "Spock, please tell me."   
question. I do not understand it myself." Spock looked up and faced his  
instructor. "Please leave it at that, Commander." "Spock, I do not mean to pry, but did you not understand the questions? Were they to hard? Why were you unable to give the answers? Please understand me, I am not only  
worried about you but about the other students as well. I have a   
responsibility. I can't let you fail, do you understand? Not when I know  
that you are able to do it." "Sir, I can assure you the current   
situation has nothing to do with my ability to answer the questions. I   
failed the exam because I was ... distracted."   
  
Spock's tone made Mulligan decide to drop the issue. "Ok, you flunked   
it. What do you think to do now?" "I have already researched the   
options. Regulations allow me to take an additional class and then to   
repeat the exam at the end of the semester. In my case the class I have   
to take would be Advanced Communication and related Warp physics." "So   
at least you already thought about it." Mulligan was relieved. "I will   
sign you up tomorrow." He consulted some hardcopies on his desk. "The   
class will start next week on Monday eighthundred hours building 13   
level 10 room 7654. Your teacher will be Dr. Marlow. And don't fail that  
course, or I will rip your pointy-eared head of, Spock!" Mulligan   
grinned at the Vulcan. "Aye sir." Spock replied, considering whether he  
might overstep his boundaries by telling the Commander that physical   
punishment was not allowed by Starfleet regulations. Then he decided   
that the last remark was probably meant as a humorous one and that the   
conversation was over. Mulligan confirmed his assumption. "You may go   
now, Cadet Spock." "Yes, sir." Spock replied and left.   
  
On Monday morning he entered the classroom number 7654 two minutes   
before the lesson was about to start. He let his eyes wander around to   
see if he knew any of the other students. Laughter like silver let him turn his head and he froze dead in his tracks. It was her! They were   
both in the same class! She turned her head, spotted him and walked over  
to greet him. Spock swallowed and called upon Vulcan self-control techniques to refrain from making a fool out of himself again as she   
faced him and said: "Hello I saw you at the exam. You haven't been in   
any communications class before, haven't you?"   
  
"No, I major in astrophysics. My name is Spock."   
  
"Oh, welcome to the class. I am Nyota Uhura. Let me introduce you to..."   
  
  
End   



End file.
